The Perfect Machine: Part 3
Me, Grad School, a sleep deprived yet still enthusiastic college student

The Perfect Machine: Part 3

Wow. What a perfect time to write a part 3 for my multi-part article.

With the novel COVID-19 virus reeking havoc on the world, it is more important than ever to understand the human body and its immune responses. In the last part of this article, I wrote that coughing, one of the most common flu symptoms, can be lessened by taking drugstore medication. However, our body isn't just coughing to annoy us: there is a reason the flu (and COVID-19 virus) brings this symptom to the table. It is our immune system's response to foreign bodies in our airways and thus trying to rid itself of it. Yes, you can take medicine and feel better, but is this really helping your body get rid of the virus that made it cough in the first place?

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I want to note that coughing in public, without covering your mouth is NOT THE WAY to cough. Wearing a mask, covering your mouth, coughing into your jacket: these are all ways to help prevent the spread of the virus if you must cough.

To complicate this subject even more so, coughing for days at a time can bring about other symptoms that are also very painful and annoying. Sore throat, dry mouth, runny nose, swollen tonsils, etc. So back to my point of the human body being "the perfect machine": under perfect circumstances it is. But during a world wide flu pandemic, it is certainly not.

When your car needs an oil change, you get it done. This is because the machine (your car in this example) works optimally when it has good/fresh oil in it. Just like your car, your body can work optimally if it is given the proper resources to do so. What are these?

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According to Harvard Health (www.health.harvard.edu), these are the top 7 ways to optimize your immune system:

  1. 1. Don't smoke.
  2. 2. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
  3. 3. Exercise regularly.
  4. 4. Maintain a healthy weight.
  5. 5. If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
  6. 6. Get adequate sleep.
  7. Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.

This may sound like a huge laundry list, and maybe you would have to modify your lifestyle a lot to reach some of these goals: but it will be worth it (ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW).

If you'd like to learn more about your immune system, I've put a link to an adorable and informative animated video in the comments below. Also, if you have any questions, I studied this for years in school so I'm happy to have a conversation about it.

Allison Peck??

Helping you stand out so you get hired ASAP | TedX | Author | LinkedIn Learning Instructor

4 年

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzunOgYHeyg This video details out how our immune system works, and why we exhibit certain symptoms in response to different foreign "invaders".

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